Ice cube chipper



Nov'. 17, 1936. i. YEOMANS ICE CUBE CHIPPER Filed Feb. l, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17, 1936. L. l. YEOMANS ICE CUBE CHIPPER Filed Feb. l, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lwczlen I. Ycomww,

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT CFFICE ICE CUBE CHIPPER Application February 1, 1934, Serial No. 709,264

6 Claims.

The invention relates generally to ice chippers and more particularly to a device for breaking into small pieces ice cubes such as are formed in ordinary electric refrigerators.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is easy to operate, which effectually reduces the cube of ice to small chips, and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a manually operable device of this character which by a single movement will reduce the cube to small chips.

A further object is to provide an ice cube chipper having a plurality of picks which are so mounted as to be able to follow the lines of cleavage of ice to prevent undue pressure on the picks and wedging of ice therebetween, and also to facilitate the Withdrawal of the picks from the ice.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character which confines the ice while it is being disintegrated to prevent the chips from being scattered about.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation, partially in seoton, of a device embodying the features of the invention.

Fig, 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragment of a vertical section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the device.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a, perspective View of another modied form of the device.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the form shown in Fig. 6.

In carrying out my invention I provide a handoperated implement comprising briefly a housing providing a chamber for the cube of ice, and a reciprocatory head within the housing carrying a plurality of chipping elements or picks adapted to be driven into the ice by a plunger slidably mounted within the housing and extending externally thereof for convenient o-peration. Within the housing is an apertured plate serving to guide the picks When they are rst brought into contact with the ice, to limit the sliding movement of the plunger, and to strip the chips of ice from between the picks.

In the preferred form ofthe device, shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the housing, indicated at l0, comprises a strip of sheet metal bent to form a rectangular chamber to receive the ice cube. The ends of the strip are brought into abutment as at I I, and the strip is rigidly held in such form at its top by a top wall I2 having a downwardly extending ange I3 surrounding the strip, The flange may be secured to the strip as by providing apertures I4 in the strip near the top edge thereof and indenting portions I5 of the ilange 5 I3 into the apertures id.

Within the housing i0 is a head, indicated generally at 20, carrying means for disintegrating the ice comprising, in the present instance, a plurality of downwardly extending picks 2l l0 adapted to be driven into the ice. The head 20 is so constructed that the picks are loosely supported to permit of a limited lateral movement of the picks as they are driven into the ice so that they may follow different lines of cleavage. To 15 this end, each pick comprises a shank 22 (see Fig. 3) pointed at its lower end and provided with a head 23 at its upper end. The head is made of two spaced plates rigidly secured together as by tangs formed on one of the plates and extending 20- through and bent over the other. The lower plate, indicated at 2i, has a plurality of perforations 25, one for each pick, through Which the shanks of the picks extend. Each perforation is slightly larger in size than the shank but is less 25 than the size of the head 23. Thus, the picks are held but may move laterally relative to the lower plate 2A, to a, limited extent.

The upper plate, indicated at 26, is shaped so that, as the picks are forced downwardly, they 30 are permitted to roll slightly against the upper plate. As shown herein, the heads 23 are at and the top plate is provided with a plurality of rounded bosses 21, one for each pick, bearing against the heads 23. Thus, when the picks are driven into the ice and the ice splits on lines varying slightly from the direction of movement of the picks, the latter are free, because of the rolling or pivotal motion, to follow the lines of cleavage. This prevents undue pressure on the picks and facilitates the removal of the chips of ice from between the picks on Withdrawal of the latter.

To operate the device, the head is also provided with a portion extending externally of the housing Hl, which, in the present instance, comprises a knob 30 projecting from the upper end of a sleeve 3| rigidly secured at its lower end to the upper plate 26 as by means of tangs on the sleeve extending through and bent against the plate. 50 The sleeve is preferably made of a sheet of metal rolled into tubular form. The knob is preferably Wood and is secured to the sleeve as by means of nails 32 driven through perforatons in the sleeve and into the Wood.

To guide the head in its movement, it is made substantially the size of the inside of the housing. The top plate 26 is provided with downwardly extending ilanges 33 on its four sides and rounded bosses 34 are pressed outwardly on the 60 anges, preferably two on each side, to bear against the inner face of the housing it. The head is thus enabled to slide smoothly within the housing Without binding. To prevent the head from canting within the housing, the sleeve 3l is slidably guided in the top wall i2 of the housing, y

an inturned ilange 35 being formed around the hole through which the sleeve extends.

The device also includes a means to guide the picks during the rst part of their movement downward, which, in the present instance, comprises a plate it xed within and extending across the housing below the head. The plate lil is provided with a plurality of perforations 4i through which the picks extend and which are slightly larger than the picks. When the head is in its raised position and is separated from the plate, as shown in Fig. 3, the plate. is near the pointed ends of the picks. Thus, the diierence. in size of the perforations in the plate and picks permits only a very slight pivotal movement of the picks and the latter are guided directly against the ice. As the. head moves downwardly toward the position where it abuts against the plate, as shown in Fig. 1, the diierence in size of the periorations and the picks permits a greater range of pivotal movement of the picks, since the plate is then nearer the pivotal point. Thus, while the plate l prevents much pivotal movement of the picks during the first part oi" the downward movement, it permits a greater movement during the later part of the movement of the head so that the picks are free to follow diierent lines of cleavage of the ice.

The plate it also serves as a stripper. Thus, as the picks are withdrawn upwardly, the plate i0 prevents the chips of ice from being carried with the picks. The plate. is preferably so positioned within the housing that it limits the downward movement of the plunger to a point where the pointed ends of picks are a short distance above the lower end of the. housing. The picks therefore will not be injured by being driven into a solid supporting base, nor will they injure such supporting base.

To x the plate li@ within the housing, the ends of the plate are bent downwardly, as at 42, `and extend to a point adjacent the lower end of the housing Hl. At that point, the ends 42 of the plate are provided with tangs [i3 extending through the housing wall and bent against the. outer face thereof. The plate thus serves to retain the housing at its lower end in its desired form.

The preferred form of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is open at the bottom and is used in connection with a supporting base upon which the ice cube rests when being chipped. In the present instance, the. supporting base is shown in the form of a small dish or tray 44 shaped to receive and support the housing Hi when placed over a cube of ice.

In the modified form of the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the means for supporting the ice while being chipped is secured to and constitutes a bottom wall for the housing. To this end, a bottom plate 5B is secured to the housing and an opening 5l is provided in the side wall of the housing, through which the ice may be inserted. The bottom plate is preferably movable to a limited extent relative to the side walls of the housing to permit the chips of ice to fall away from the picks on withdrawal of the latter. In the present instance, the ends of the plate 50 are bent upwardly to extend inside of the housing, and each end portion is provided with a pair tial space is provided below the picks, in which the ice chips may fall. The edge of the bottom plate 50 opposite the opening 5i is also bent upwardly as at 55 to close the gap between the bottom plate and the housing when the bottom plate is in its lower position relative to the housing.

To close the opening 5l when the ice is being chipped, the head 2i) has a downwardly extending flange 5t positioned adjacent the side wall in which the opening 5! is formed. The flange 54 is of such size that, when the head 29 has moved to its lowest position, the flange 54 closes the opening 5i. On withdrawal of the head, the flange moves upwardly so that the ice chips may be removed through the opening 5l.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the device is provided with .a spring to withdraw the picks from the ice. To this end, the operatingknob is attached to the head by means of a pair of spaced plates Gil, shown in the present instance as integral extensions from the top plate of the head. The spaced plates G extend through slots 5l cut in the top wall l2 of the housing and are secured to the knob by means of a member t2 bridging the top edges of the plates 55. The knob, indicated at 63, is preferably made of wood and has a` hollow shank tl resting on the top face of the bridge member F52 and a tubular lining 65 of metal secured to the bridge member t2 by extending therethrough and being flanged against the lower face thereof.

Extending from the top wall 82 is a tubular member 65 the upper end of which enters the lower end of the hollow shank E4 of the knob. Within the tubular member 56 and extending into the knob is a coiled spring 6I bearing at its lower end against the top wall l2 and at its upper end against a headed pin 68 positioned within the knob. The tubular member 66 is preferably secured to the top wall I2 by fitting snugly within a depression 69 formed therein. The spring thus resists downward movement of the head and withdraws the picks when pressure on the knob is released.

In this form of the device, the structure permitting the rolling or pivotal motion of the picks relative to the head is attained in a slightly dit: ferent manner. As shown in Fig- '7, each pick is provided with a spherical head It, and top plate of the plunger is indented as at 'll to t over the spherical head. This construction is not necessarily limited to use in this form of the device but may be used in the form shown in Fig. 1 or the form shown in Fig. 4.

The relatively fixed parts of the devices shown in Figs. 1 and 4, as mentioned above, are held together by means of bent tangs. Such parts may be held together by spot welding as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, either method being suitable for any of the three forms of the device.

In using the device shown in Fig. 1, the ice cube is placed on the tray it. The housing lil is then placed over the cube with its lower edge resting on the tray. To break up the cube, the knob 30 is given a sharp blow downwardly by the hand. This drives the picks 2| into the cube causing them to break up into small chips. During the iirst part of the downward movement of the picks, the plate 40 prevents the picks from pivoting laterally to any great extent, but as the head 20 approaches the plate 40, the latter is nearer the pivotal point for each pick so that the difference in size between the perforations in the plate 4E) .and the picks permits a greater range of lateral movement of the picks. The picks are thus enabled to follow the lines of cleavage of the ice, as they are driven downwardly to avoid strain on the picks and prevent binding.

The head may be driven downwardly until it strikes the plate 4i] which is rigidly secured to the housing. The plate is positioned so that the points of the picks are not allowed to strike the tray 44. The picks are thus saved from becoming unnecessarily dulled and from damaging the tray 44. To remove the ice chips, the knob 30 is lifted upwardly, pulling the picks through the plate ill and thus depositing the chips in the tray 44. A plurality yof cubes may be broken at one time in this manner if they are not too large to be enclosed by the housing.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the ice cube is placed in the housing IU through the opening 5|. The device is then rested on a table or the like, causing the bottom plate 59 to move to its upper position relative to the housing. A blow or downward push on the knob 30 causes the picks to be driven into the ice, and at the same time, the flange 54 is moved downwardly to close the opening 5I. On lifting the knob 30 to withdraw the picks, the housing is lifted permitting the bottom plate 5l) to fall to its lower position relative to this housing. This provides space in which the chips may fall and thereby facilitate the withdrawal of the picks.

The form shown in Figs. 6 and '7 is constructed for use with a tray, such as is shown in Fig. 1, or other supporting surface for the ice. On downward movement of the knob 63, the spring is compressed and sufficient energy is thereby stored to return the picks automatically to their withdrawn position.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided a device for breaking cubes of ice into small chips, which is easy to operate,

which effectually reduces the cube or cubes of ice to small chips, and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. It will also be evident that I have provided a manually-operable device which by a single movement will reduce the ice to small chips, and which confines the chips so that they will not be scattered about. The device includes a plurality of picks which are so mounted as to be able to follow the lines of cleavage of the I ice to avoid strain on the picks and prevent binding and also to facilitate the withdrawal of the picks.

I claim as my invention:

l. An ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a housing providing a chamber to receive and hold a cube of ice, a plurality of laterally spaced picks positioned within the housing and adapted to be projected into the ice, each of said picks comprising a shank having a head at one end, and means for loosely supporting sai-d picks to permit them to follow the lines of cleavage of the ice comprising a pair of spaced plates rigidly secured together, one of said plates being perforated with the picks extending loosely through the perforations, the other of said plates having a plurality of rounded bosses bearing against the heads of said picks to permit a rolling motion therebetween, and a knob for moving said picks rigidly secured to one of said plates and extending externally of the housing.

2. An ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a housing providing a chamber to receive and h-old a cube of ice, a plurality of laterally spaced picks positioned within the housing and adapted to be projected into the ice, each of said picks comprising a shank having a head at one end, and means for loosely supporting said picks to permit them to follow the lines of cleavage of the ice comprising a pair of spaced plates rigidly secured together, one of said plates bearing against the heads of said picks, said heads and said plate being relatively formed to permit a rolling motion of one on the other, the other of said plates having perforations through which said picks extend and said perforations being slightly larger than the shanks of said pins whereby limited lateral movement of the picks is permitted, and means for moving said first-mentioned means.

3. An ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a housing providing a chamber for an ice cube and having an opening in one side wall through which the ice cube may be inserted, a head slidably mounted in said housing, a plurality -of picks movable with said head and adapted to be driven into the ice, and a closure member slidable with said head and movable into a position closing said opening.

4. An ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a housing providing a chamber for an ice cube and having an opening in one side wall through which the ice cube may be inserted, a head slidably mounted in said housing, a plurality of picks movable with said head and adapted to be driven into the ice, said head having a flange extending downwardly within and alongside said side wall and arranged to close said opening as the head is moved toward the ice.

5. An ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a housing providing a chamber for the ice, a head slidably mounted in said housing, a plurality -of picks carried by said head and adapted to be driven into the ice, the end wall of said housing having a pair of spaced slots, a pair of plates rigid with said head and extending through said slots, a knob xed to the outer ends of said plates for operating said head, said knob being hollow, a tubular member fixed to the outer face of said end wall and extending into the knob, and a spring mounted within said tubular member and said knob and bearing at one end against said end wall and at the other end against said knob to resist movement of the knob and to withdraw the picks from the ice.

6. A disintegrating element for an ice cube chipper comprising, in combination, a perforated plate, a plurality of headed picks having their Shanks extending through the perforations in said plate, a second plate rigidly attached to the perforated plate and spaced suiiiciently therefrom to allow a limited hinged movement of the heads of said picks, and bosses in said second plate adapted to cooperate with the heads of said picks.

LUCIEN I. YEOMANS. 

